Education Ministry Withdraws Funding of Jewish Event Over Arab Israeli Host
'A woman who represents mixed marriage cannot represent Jewish culture' said the ministry about journalist and host Lucy Aharish, who is married to Jewish Fauda star Tsahi Halevi; the Israeli council that hosts the annual event to 'promote a pluralistic, progressive and free Judaism' demands the ministry to retract its decision
FILE PHOTO: Lucy Aharish.Credit: David Bachar
By Ido David Cohen and Rachel Fink
Jan 16, 2024
The Jewish Culture Department of the Ministry of Education has walked back its agreement to help fund an annual Shavuot event that took place in 2023, organized by the Megiddo Regional Council, due to Israeli-Arab broadcast journalist Lucy Aharish's participation as the event's host.
"I am in shock,"
Aharish told Haaretz. "It's so hurtful to me, especially at the time we find ourselves in right now, after
October 7. There is no other word for it except racism and sullying my good name."
The department's decision was discovered almost two months ago by the Israeli news site Ynet following the submission of summary reports for the 2023 fiscal year on behalf of the Regional Council, including their request for partial funding of the event.
The
Megiddo Regional Council is demanding that the Department for Jewish Culture retract their decision.
"We have developed a tradition of an all night learning event on the eve of Shavuot," Nati Virba, the Director of the Culture Division in the Megiddo Regional Council, told Ynet.
"We are holding it for the tenth year, the event takes place at Kibbutz Ramot Menashe, on the grass outside, with hundreds of people, from kibbutzim and moshavim of Megiddo and other people from the surrounding area," Virba said.
"We host religious and secular, Ashkenazim and Mizrahi, right-wing and left-wing, settlement and city people. The flag of the event is the promotion of a
pluralistic, progressive and free Judaism with great respect for the Jewish tradition," continued Virba.
Israeli television host and media figure Lucy Aharish. Credit: Tomer Appelbaum
He called the reason for the Jewish Culture Department's pulling of funding "infuriating and frustrating".
After Virba's request was denied, Itzik Holevsky, Head of the Megiddo Council submitted his own appeal. "Aharish's lecture was moving and fascinating, about marrying a Jew, about the Jewish holidays and the multicultural education of her children in Israel. It was a Jewish lecture in every sense of the word," Holevsky wrote in the notice of appeal.
"We were surprised by the division's decision to deny the proportional part of the annual support, due to the participation of
Lucy Aharish at the event and due to the fact that she is not Jewish," Holevsky continued.
"We at the Megiddo Regional Council do not know of a regulation or law that prohibits receiving support for a non-Jewish participant. Moreover, Lucy Aharish was deemed worthy of lighting a torch on the Independence Day of the State of Israel," said Holevsky.
"Lucy Aharish saved dozens of Jews on
October 7. Lucy Aharish sends her husband to fight with the Duvdevan [special forces] unit in Gaza. We think she is worthy enough to receive the support of the Division for Jewish Culture. We would appreciate it if you would reconsider the decision and give Megiddo your full support," wrote Holevsky in his appeal.
Lucy Aharish with her husband Tsahi Halevi, an Israeli actor who stars in Fauda. Credit: Meir Adari
Holevsky's appeal was rejected by Itiel Bar Levi, Director of the Department for Jewish Culture, about a week ago. Levy said, "First, I would like to praise the work of the department's staff. From the supervisor's words, it appears that the work is very professional, responds to all target audiences and meets the vision of the department on various levels.
"Regarding the Shavuot event, it appears that there was a failure in communication between the director and the supervisor. Because the publication went to the group without receiving the approval of the supervisor according to the procedures, the activity cannot be approved," Bar Levi said.
Bar Levi's statement to the council goes on to say, "We live in a 'Jewish State' and as the Wing of Jewish Culture, it makes sense that a woman who represents mixed marriage cannot represent Jewish culture." The letter bore the symbol of the Ministry of Education.
Lucy Aharish and her husband Tsahi Halevi at a Haaretz conference on democracy. Credit: Tomer Appelbaum
Aharish, who is married to popular
Fauda star Tsahi HaLevi, was furious at the decision. "To come and say that I represent assimilation and harm the values of Judaism? I went there and talked about coexistence, and I was received with such love and hugs," says Aharish.
Aharish added, "[They] come and tell me very clearly - 'We support racism, we look at you and
discriminate against you, and we judge you for being an Arab, you are not a part of us' … How do they look Israeli Arab teachers and students in the eyes?"
She also called on Education Minister Yoav Kisch to act to change the department's decision.
The Ministry of Education refuses to comment on the entire incident, claiming that at the time the Shavuot event took place, the division was part of the Ministry of Settlements headed by
far-right Minister Orit Strook, and returned to the Ministry of Education only at the beginning of January. The Ministry of Settlements also declined to comment.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotritz, with ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Orit Strook. Credit: Ohad Zwigenberg
The Department for Jewish Culture is standing behind their rejection of the Council's appeal, justifying their decision not to fund the event due to Aharish's participation.
Bar Levi gave his official response Monday night: "The Shavuot event activity was not approved due to a technical reason… Any activity that is not brought to the attention of an inspector, with all aspects submitted for approval, will not be approved. This includes content, location, target audience, etc."
"The Megiddo activity in question was not brought to the supervisor's attention and, therefore, did not receive her approval. It is also true what the supervisor herself said, that even if a request for approval of this event had been brought to her, it is possible that it would have been rejected," Bar Levi continued.
This is because the content and the facilitator are not suitable in the spirit of Jewish culture," said Bar Levi.
Education Ministry Withdraws Funding of Jewish Event Over Arab Israeli Host
Mind you ol girl is a Zionist herself. That's that wake-up call, I guess. Too many layers...
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